Latin America. The world is preparing for the post-pandemic, a phase in which the reduction of pathogens and circulation of the virus will be decisive, and Christie announces the mass manufacture of the CounterAct product line for commercial disinfection by ultraviolet radiation.
The new products incorporate Care222, a patented far-UVC technology that allows its use in indoor spaces occupied by people, from movie theaters, theme parks, museums or sports complexes, to shops and restaurants, but also in areas of great affluence, such as airports and railway or metro stations.
Developed by Christie, the CounterAct product line uses Care222nm, an ultraviolet lamp technology patented by Ushio Inc., Christie's parent company, which acquired it under license from Columbia University. Designed to be mounted on high ceilings, CounterAct luminaires are as simple to install as any other lamp and easy to manage.
Christie CounterAct is the first ultraviolet disinfection technology for use in places with human presence. It uses filtered and patented far-ultraviolet (far-UVC) radiation to eliminate up to 99% of pathogens present on indoor surfaces, such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes COVID-19, but also the influenza virus and antibiotic-resistant bacteria and superbugs, damaging the pathogen's DNA or RNA and preventing it from reproducing and infecting humans.
After undergoing tests carried out in third-party facilities, Christie CounterAct models have been shown to comply with CE, UL and UKCA standards for electrical safety, electromagnetic compatibility (EMC), monitoring of the radio equipment directive and, most importantly, photobiological safety.
Photobiological safety is a method designed to assess that the level of exposure to ultraviolet rays of the occupants of a space meets the guidelines established by the sector, a crucial element in third-party verification tests.
Technological advances that add safety and efficacy to UV disinfection
The efficacy of ultraviolet light in effectively neutralizing pathogens has been proven for years. However, the wavelength of 254 nanometers used in other disinfection products on the market can be harmful to people, due to its ability to pass through the human skin and eye.
The award-winning CounterAct luminaires contain Ushio's patented Care222 lamps, which emit 222-nanometer far-UVC light. A 2020 study by Kobe University determines that it can be used safely in the presence of people. Wavelength 222 is precisely what guarantees effectiveness against pathogens in occupied spaces, without any harm to human health. In addition, Care222 is the world's first far-UVC technology equipped with a patented optical filter that is capable of blocking the emission of potentially harmful UVC wavelengths (>230nm).
